Our Teaching Staff
Jaana
Jaana has been the owner and director of LaVerne Meier School of Dance since 2010. She grew up dancing at the school and takes her inspiration from her former teachers and previous owners of the school, Mary and Stephanie. Jaana is a graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia where she got her degree in Human Development and Family Studies. After college Jaana returned to the studio to continue teaching dance, eventually becoming the owner of the business. When she is not at the studio, she works as a Certified Child Life Specialist. Jaana is dedicated to making the studio a welcoming place for all students and takes great pride in continuing the tradition of teaching dance in the Overland area.
Ava
Ava has been dancing with LaVerne Meier School of Dance since 2006. She has a passion for creating a home outside of home for all of her students. Her favorite styles of dance are ballet and hip hop but she loves any opportunity to learn something new. In her spare time, Ava loves to read, hang out with friends, and shop. Ava loves to have fun in class, while ensuring the time spent is productive and entertaining.
Ashley
Ashley grew up dancing at LaVerne Meier and was delighted to become part of the teaching staff in 2011. She enjoys teaching the students and being a part of their journey as dancers. It's a very fulfilling process to watch her dancers grow and share in their joy as they reach goals. Ballet is her first love and poms is a very close second. Picking out costumes is one of her favorite times of the year and she is always up for crafting a prop or additional costume piece.
Lauren
Lauren has been dancing at LaVerne Meier since 2008. She has spent the last four years as a teaching assistant. Lauren is a student in Lindenwood University’s dance program, where she continues to pursue her love of dance. She is looking forward to passing on her passion for dance to her students!
Megan
Megan began dancing at LaVerne Meier in 2008, when she was 3 years old, and became an assistant at 14 years old. Dance and choreography are some of her greatest passions, and she aspires to be a professional choreographer in the future. Her favorite style of dance is jazz, with ballet and hip hop as close seconds. When she’s not dancing, Megan spends most of her time drawing, writing, or hanging out with her two cats. She loves kids, and can’t wait to help a new generation of dancers cultivate their love for dance!
Michelle
Miss Michelle has been a teacher at LaVerne Meier School of Dance since 2015. Prior to teaching at the school, she attended as a student until graduating high school. Miss Michelle is a graduate of Stephens College (Columbia, MO). During her time at Stephens, she was a member of the dance team and took various courses in dance and performing arts, continuing her dance education. Her favorite thing about teaching dance is enabling her students to work hard and discover a love of dance.
Jamie
Jamie danced at LaVerne Meier her entire childhood, and some of her favorite memories are from the time she spent at the studio with her sister and friends, including Jaana! After meeting at dance, Jamie and Jaana attended college together and returned to the studio following graduation. They later bought and ran the studio together until Jamie moved away in 2014. She returned to the area in 2020, when her daughter, Edie, started dancing at LaVerne Meier. She’s happy to be back teaching and hopes to help other students make lifelong memories of their time at the studio with their friends.
Emily
Emily started dancing at LaVerne Meier at the age of 3 and danced all the way through high school. She started assisting in 2016 and began teaching after high school. Emily attends St. Louis Community College with plans to transfer to a 4 year college. She enjoys teaching because she likes to watch the kids come out of their shells and have fun at dance every week.
Photos by SAS Photography